Machine for forming and attaching tags.



-E. H. 'MIGHENER. MACHINE FOR FORMING AND ATTAGHING TAGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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E. 'H. MIOHENER. MACHINE FOR FORMING AND ATTAUHING TAGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1910. I 973,369. Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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B. H. MIOHENER. MACHINE FOR FORMING AND ATTAGHING TAGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1-910, 9'?3,369 7 Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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. TINTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

ELWOOD HARRIS MICHENER, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNGB TO ACME STAPLE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A LIMITED PARTNER- SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 191%.

Application filed March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552,539.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELwooD HARRIS MICHENER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Forming and Attaching Tags, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the machines of the general class stated for forming tags or tickets from a tape fed to the stapling mechanism and attaching such tags, by staples, to various articles of paper, linen and analogous materials.

The objects of my invention in machines of the class are, speaking generally, to double the staple-driving and setting capacity of the stapling elements at each movement of the main actuating mechanism, and to opcratively combine with the same, in an organized mechanism, means to feed a strip of tape, cut short sections therefrom, forming tags, delivering the same to and over the anvil of the stapling mechanism and attach the same to underlying stock by a pair of staples, one adjacent each end of the tag or severed tape section.

Identifying features of my invention consist not alone in uniting in a single organized machine, novel duplex staple-inserting mechanism, with novel. tape-feeding and tag-cutting or forming devices, but in combining said elements in an essentially novel manner, with actuating mechanism for the several elements, each caused thereby to operate in such manner that the functions of the machine as an entirety will be performed by a certain cycle of movements, in appropriate order, of its constituent elements.

To these ends my invention consists in a machine, performing the several functions stated, in the order stated, and comprising in combination with a suitable supporting frame provided with a centrally-disposed portion suitably recessed to support stapleguiding and staple-inserting devices, with oppositely-disposed magazine extensions, staple-supplying and feeding devices in each of said magazines, a duplex-grooved staple guiding block in said frame, preferably detachable, a duplex stapling plunger carrying driver blades adapted to be rcciprocated in the grooves of the staple guide to uncover l and actuate the staple feed on their upward movement, and to insert the fed staples in underlying stock on their downward movement; a vertically movable clenching anvil, means to supply, feed forward, and cut off sections of tape, forming tags, and deliver the same in the path of the co-acting stapledriving and clenching mechanisms; actuating devices for each of the several elements, means opcratively connecting said actuating devices, with other means to impart movement thereto from a single source of power, whereby the several elements of the machine have imparted to them a certain cycle of movements to effect the objects sought.

The novel features in the machine as a whole, and in sub-combinations of some of the elements being as hereinafter pointed out in the claims, with the reservation however that while I have shown and. described herein, in detail, the novel stapling mechanism, I do not claim the same herein, as it forms the subject matter of a separate or divided application for Letters Patent therefor, designated as Serial No. 564,037 filed h/Iay 31, 1910.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention in its best form :Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine, showing part of the standard of the framework broken away. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper port-ion of the machine. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fi 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line tat of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section, on line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. (3 is a vertical section through the parts directly concerned in performing the stapling operation and the tape feeding and cutting operations, and adjuncts. Figs. 7, 8 and 9 age views of parts shown in Fig. 5, showing said parts in different positions occupied. Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line lO-1O of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section, on line 1l--11 of Fig. 6. Fig. 12 is a vertical section, on line 12-12 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to said drawings, the supporting frame of the machine comprises, in addition to a suitable vertical standard 2 with its base portion 6 wherein is mounted a springcontrolled actuating treadle hereinafter described, a frame proper indicated at 7 (see Fig. 10) wherein the series of coacting levers and links to actuate the several moving elements in proper order, are

mounted, and wherein the vertically-movable anvil 25 is guidingly supported and actuated, as also the tape-feeding and cutting mechanism (see Fig. 6). The frame 7 is suitably recessed to receive and guide a pair of rods 28 which carry a pair of stapledrivers; and also to receive a detachable guide-block 23. The frame 7 is further provided with two oppositely-disposed extensions 8, on either side of its central portion, and suitably grooved, as at 13, (see Fig. 2), wherein is arranged a bar or rib 14 to support a train of staples 15; the parts being so co-related and organized as to discharge the staples successively into the grooves 24 on each side of the guide-block 23.

The automatic staple feed is much as usual in this class of machines and comprises a follower 16 of sheet metal of a form adapted to embrace the bar or rib 14. The follower has an arm 17 with an ear 18 which is engaged by an eye 19 on one end of a coiled spring 20 which extends toward the central portion of the frame 7, through an opening therein, and over a roller 21, and thence to a projection 22 (see Fig. 3), hence the tendency of the spring is to cause the follower 16 to automatically push the staples, one by one, into the grooves 24 of the guide block on each upward reciprocation of the driver blades 27, which, in normal position, occupy such grooves.

Arranged beneath the block 23 and staple-guides 24 is a stapling anvil 25 which is mounted to slide vertically within a suitable guide opening in the frame 7 and is movable toward and from the block 23 and guides 24; and fitted to suitable guide openings in the frame 7, above the staple guides 24 are stapling plungers 26 comprising terminal driver blades in the form of plates 27 the lower ends of which reciprocate in the duplex staple-grooves 24, formed, in part, by the detachable guide-block 23. The upper ends of the duplex staple plunger are carried on and actuated by a pair of rods 28, 28, the stapling plungers 26 being movable vertically to move the plates 27 down through the staple guides 24 from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown inFig. 8 and back again. The upper ends of the stapling plungers 26 are secured to a bar 29 whereby the plungers 26 may be -moved as a unit.

During the operation of the machine, the anvil 25 is first moved upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7; the stapling plungers 26 are then moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 8; and the anvil 25 and plungers 26 are then returned to the position shown in Fig. 6. I shall now describe the mechanism for thus operating the anvil and plungers.

30 designates a foot lever, one end of which is arranged within the lower portion of the hollow standard 2 and is pivoted thereto as at 31. The other end of the lever 30 extends outwardly through an opening in the stand ard 2 and is adapted to be engaged by the foot of the person operating the machine. This foot lever 30 is held normally in the raised posit-ion shown in full lines in Fig. 1 by a spring 32 located within the standard 2 and having its lower end connected to the lever 30 and its upper end connected to the standard. After the foot lever 30 has been pressed downwardly from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown by dot-and-dash lines, it will be returned automatically to the full line position by the action of the spring 32 when the pressure is removed from the lever.

The foot lever 30 is pivoted to the lower end of a bar 33 arranged within the standard 2 and having its upper end pivoted to one end of an arm or lever 34 which extends outwardly through an opening in the standard 2 and is pivoted at its outer end to the lower end of the anvil 25 beneath the frame 7. Pivoted to the arm or lever 34, as at 35, is the lower end of a bar 36, the upper end of which is pivoted, as at 37, to an arm or lever 38. One end of this arm or lever 38 is pivoted, as at 39, to the frame 7 and the other end thereof is pivoted, as at 40, to the crossbar 29 carrying the stapling plungers 26.

WVhen the machine is in normal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 10, the stapling plungers 26 are in the raised position and the anvil 25 is in the lower position. In this position of the parts, further upward movement of the stapling plungers 26 is prevented by the engagement of the bar 29 with an adjustable head 41 screwed on to the upper end of a rod 42 which is fixed to and extends upwardly from the frame 7 and through the bar 29; and, in this position of the parts, further downward movement of the anvil 25 is prevented by pin 43 secured to the frame 7 and extending through a slot 44 in the anvil 25. The spring 32 holds the parts in this normal position by its upward pressure upon the bar 33, causing the lever 34 to fulcrum on the pivot 35 and hold the anvil against the pin 43, and causing the lever 38 to hold the plunger bar 29 against the head 41 by the upward pressure against the bar 36 and lever 38.

Arranged within a vertical opening in the frame 7 in rear of the stapling plungers 26 is an arm 45 having its lower end pivoted, as at 46 to the frame 7 The upper portion of this arm 45 is provided with two cam faces 47 and 48 which are adapted to engage a pin or part 49 of the lever 38. The arm 45 is pressed normally into engagement with the pin 49 by the action of a suit-able spring 50 located within an opening in the frame 7 and having one end engaged with the frame and the other end engaged with the arm. The purpose of this arm is to prevent downward movement of the lever 38 and plungers 26 during the upward movement of the anvil 25, and to prevent upward movement of the lever 38 and plungers 26 during the down ward movement of the anvil 25, as will be presently explained.

During the operation of the machine the articles to be stapled are placed between the anvil 25 and the block 23, whereupon the foot lever 30 is depressed by the operator against the action of the spring 32. During the initial downward movement of the foot lever 30 the bar 33 draws the inner end of the lever 3 downwardly thereby raising the outer end of the lever 3a and moving the anvil 25 and articles to be stapled upwardly against the block 23, as shown in Fig. 7

while the lever 34 fulcrums on the pivot 35;

and during this upward movement of the anvil 25, downward movement of the bar 36, lever 38 and plungers 26 by the downward pressure of the pivot pin 35 is prevented by the engagement of the cam face 47 of the arm 45 with the pin 49 of the lever 38. Mien the upward movement of the anvil 25 is arrested by the engagement of the articles to be stapled, clamped between it and the block 23, the continued downward movement of the foot lever 30 will cause the continued downward movement of the inner end of the lever 34:. As the lever 34 continues to move downwardly, the bar 36 will draw the lever 38 downwardly, causing the pin 49 to ride over the cam face 4:7 of the arm 45 and force the arm back against the action of the spring 50. This downward movement of the lever 38 forces the bar 29 and therewith the stapling plungers 26 downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 8, in a manner to force the staples 15 within the guides 24 downwardly therethrough and through the articles to be stapled and into engagement with the anvil 25 which clenches the legs of the staples and completes the stapling operation. Vhen the stapling plungers 26 reach their lowermost position, the cam face 48 of the arm 45 engages the pin 49 of the lever 38 and holds the lever and the stapling plungers 26 in the position shown in Fig. 8 by the pressure of the spring 50.

After the stapling operation has been effected as just described, the operator removes the pressure from the foot lever 30, and the spring 32 raises the lever 30 from the position shown by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1 to the position shown in full lines. During the initial upward movement of the foot lever 30, the bar 33 raises the inner end of the lever 34; thereby lowering the outer end of the lever and moving the anvil 25 downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 8 "to the position shown in Fig. 9, while the lever 34 fulcrums on the pivot pin 35; and during this downward movement of the anvil 25, upward movement of the bar 36, lever 38 and plungers 26 by the upward pressure of the pivot pin is prevented by the engagement of the cam face 48 of the arm 45 with the pin 49 of the lever 38. l/Vhen the downward movement of the anvil 25 is arrested by its engagement with the pin 43, the continued upward movement of the foot lever 30 causes the continued upward movement of the lever 3st with sufficient pressure to cause the bar 36 to disengage the pin L9 from the cam face 48 of the arm and raise the lever 38 and therewith the stapling plungers 26 to the position shown in Fig. 6, the stapling-plunger bar 29 coming to rest against the head 4L1 and limiting the further upward movement of the foot lever 30 when it reaches the full line position shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that each time the foot lever 30 is depressed and raised the stapling operation will be effected, and that during the successive stapling operations the staples 15 will be auton'iatically fed to the guides 24 by the springs 20.

I shall now describe the mechanism for cutting lengths of tape from a strip and feeding said lengths into position between the anvil 25 and block 23 to be stapled to any suitable article placed between the anvil 25 and block 23.

Supported on one of the lateral extensions 8 of the frame 7 is a suitable holder or magazine 51 containing a roll of tape 52 which is supported upon a pin 53 in a manner to permit the tape to be readily unrolled and withdrawn from the magazine. The tape 52 extends to and through a guide 54 on the bottom of the outer end of one of the extensions 8 of the frame 7. From the guide 54, the tape 52 extends to and through an elongated guiding finger 55 which is formed of spring metal and is secured near its outer end to a projection 56 on one of the extensions 8. The inner end of the guiding finger 55 rests and bears down upon an arm 57 projecting from the lower portion of a knife 58 provided with upwardly extending side members 59, the upper ends thereof having outwardly extending projections 60, as clearly shown in Fig. 12. The sides of this knife 58 are loosely arranged within vertical slots 61 in the block 23, the projections 60 resting upon the top of the block and supporting the knife 58 in suspension. The knife 58 is movable within limits toward and from a fixed knife 62 secured to the block 23 and arranged between the movable knife 58 and the adjacent staple guide 24, the inner face of the fixed knife 62 forming a wall of the staple guide. The movable knife 58 is pressed into engagement with the fixed knife 62 by the pressure of the spring finger 55 against the outer end of the arm 57 on the lower port-ion of the knife 58, the projections 60 of the knife 58 pivoting on the block 23 and causing the lower or cutting portion of the knife 58 to swing toward the knife 62.

Normally, or when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, there is a space between the fixed knife 62 and the movable knife 58, and the inner end of the finger 55 is positioned to direct the tape guided thereby to and between the knives 58 and 62 and beneath the block 23. The finger 55 is also positioned to direct the tape 52 into position directly beneath the staple guides 24. It will thus be seen that if the.

tape 52 be drawn through and projected beyond the inner end of the finger 55 to the position shown in Fig. 6, the movable knife 58 may be raised against the action of the spring guiding finger 55 to cause the length of tape projected beyond the knife 58 to be severed by the co-acting cutting edges of the knives 58 and 62. This severing of the length of tape is effected by the side of the anvil 25 raising the knife 58 during its upward movement from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7.

In order to draw the tape 52 from the roll within the magazine 51 and project it from the inner end of the finger 55 each time the stapling operation takes place, I provide the following :One end of the bar 29 carrying the stapling plungers 26 extends outwardly and is connected to the upper end of a link 65, the lower end of which is connected to one arm 66 of a bellcrank lever 67 which is fulcrumed on one of the lateral extensions 8 of the frame 7. The other end 68 of the bell-crank lever 67 extends through an opening 69 in the lateral extension 8 to the rearward side thereof and then extends clownwardly adjacent the tape guiding finger 55. The lower end of the arm 68 is provided with a projecting pin 70 on which is moimted a tape clamp 71 comprising a pair of members 72 and 73 which are pivoted together by the pin 70. The inner end of the upper member 73 is provided with an arm 74 which extends over the top of the tape guiding finger 55 and down into a slot 75 therein and into engagement with the top of the tape 52 extending through the finger 55. The inner end of the lower member extends through a slot 76 in the bottom of the finger 55 and into engagement with the bottom of the tape 52 directly beneath the arm 7-1. The members 72 and 73 are made of spring metal and their outer ends are engaged with each other in a manner to force their inner ends toward each other to clamp the tape 52 therebet-ween. By pressing the outer portions of the members 72 and 73 toward each other between the pin 7 O and the point of engagement of the outer portions of the members 7 2 and 73, the inner ends of said members may be moved apart to free the tape and permit the clamp 71 to be moved independently thereof when desired.

The frame 7 is provided with a downwardly extending pointed pin 77 arranged to pierce the tape 52 and pass through the slots 75 and 76 in the finger 55, when the finger is raised by the raising of the knife 58 during the cutting operation as previously described. The purpose of this pin 77 is to prevent the tape 52 from being moved outwardly through the finger 55 during one movement of the clamp 71 as will presently appear.

Each time the bar 29 is lowered and raised, the bell-crank lever 67 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 8 and back again. During the downward movement of the bar 29, the bell-crank lever 67 is operated to move the tape clamp 71 outwardly while the pin 77 remains extended through the tape, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. As the tape clamp 71 moves outwardly, the members 72 and 73 thereof slide upon the tape due to the pin 70 being located outwardly of the engagement of the clamp with the tape and due to the tape being held against movement by the pin 77. When the bellcrank lever 67 is operated to move the tape clamp 71 inwardly by the upward movement of the bar 29 and plungers 26, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 9, the movable knife 58 and spring finger 55 being down and the pin 77 being free from the tape 52, therefore, the clamp 71 will act upon the tape 52 and feed it inwardly through the guiding finger 55, between the knives 58 and 62 and beneath the block 23 to the position shown in Fig. 6.

From the operation just described, it will be understood that each time the bar 29 is raised and lowered during a stapling operation, a length of the tape 52 will be projected from the inner end of the tape guiding finger and beneath the block 23., as shown in Fig. 6.

The invention is especially adapted for use in stapling short lengths of tape to pieces of laundry for the purpose of placing marks of identification upon the pieces of tape. Therefore, in operating the machine, a piece of laundry, indicated by the numeral 80 is first placed upon the anvil 25, after which the foot lever 30 is depressed, thereby raising the anvil 25, severing the length of tape projecting from the inner end of the tape guiding finger 55 and stapling said length of tape to the piece of laundry 80 by the operation previously described. Each time a different piece of laundry is placed upon the anvil 25 and the stapling machine operated, a length of 'tape 52 is drawn from the magazine 51, projected into position, severed and stapled to the piece of laundry.

In stapling machines, it sometimes happens that the staple guides through which the staple driving plungers operate become clogged with defective staples. Therefore, in order to make the staple guides 24: readily accessible for removing such defective staples, cleaning, etc., I make the block 23 in which the guides 24 are formed removable from the frame 7. The block 23 is vertically movable into and from a socket in the frame 7, and the block 23 is provided with a horizontal opening 81 therein, the upper wall of which is provided with a vertical bore'into which extends a pin 82 screwed into and projecting downwardly from the frame 7. The lower end of the pin 82 extends into the opening 81 and is provided with a circular groove 83. Embracing the pin 82 and extending into the groove 83 therein is the inner bifurcated end of a spring plate 8 the outer end of which extends beyond the outer face of the block This plate 84 engages the pin 82 and block 23 and holds the block in place. WVhen it is desired to remove the block 23, the plate 84; is drawn outwardly from the pin 82 whereupon the block 23 may be lowered from the frame 7 when the anvil 25 is in the down position. Before removing the block 23, the eyes 19 of the springs 20 are removed from the ears 18 of the followers 16 to prevent the followers from feeding the staples 15 from the ribs 14 and-into the space previously occupied by the block 23.

By the removal of the block 23, the movable knife 58 carried thereby is also removed, and after the block 28 has been removed the knife 58 may be moved upwardly and disconnected from the block 23. It will thus be seen that any jamming or clogging of the parts of the machine by either the tape or the defective staples may be readily remedied.

I claim- 1. In a machine for forming and attaching tags by staples the combination with a suitable frame, a duplex grooved staple-guide, a duplex reciprocating stapling plunger, means to feed a pair of staples to the opposite grooves of the staple guide, a verticallymovable clenching anvil mounted in said frame; means to feed and cut off a section of tape and deliver it over the anvil; a pivoted lever actuating the plunger, a connected lever actuating the anvil, means to impart actuating movement to said levers, and means operated thereby to actuate the tape delivering and cutting mechanism.

2. In a machine of the class recited comprising in combination a staple-feeding and staple-inserting mechanism adapted to feed and successively insert a pair of staples in underlying stock, at each alternate reciprocating movement of the staple-inserting devices, said mechanism including a verticallymovable clenching anvil, actuating devices for said recited elements, a tape-feeding mechanism, means to guide the tape therefrom to the anvil, and cutting mechanism, actuated by the anvil, adapted to cut off a section of tape, delivered over the anvil, to form a tag to be stapled thereby.

3. In a machine of the class recited the combination of a frame; a staple guide; a stapling anvil; means operative to move said anvil into operative position; a stapling plunger movable into said guide to effect the stapling operation; a lixed tape cutting knife; a movable tape cutting knife suspended from the upper portion of the fixed knife and having a cutting edge on the lower portion thereof adapted to coact with the cutting edge of the fixed knife, said movable knife being operated by said anvil; and a spring pressing the movable knife into engagement with the fixed knife.

1. In a machine of the class recited the combination of a frame; a staple guide; a stapling anvil; means operative to move said anvil into operative position; a stapling plunger movable into said guide to effect the stapling operation; a fixed tape cutting knife; a movable tape cutting knife suspended from the upper portion of the fixed knife and having a cutting edge on the lower portion thereof adapted to coact with the cutting edge of the fixed knife, said movable knife being operated by said anvil; an arm projecting from said movable knife; and a spring acting on said arm and pressing said movable knife into engagement with the 'fixed knife and forming a tape guide arranged to direct tape between said knives.

In a machine of the class recited, the

combination with duplex staple feeding and staple inserting mechanism adapted to feed and insert a pair of staples in underlying stock, a supporting frame, a vertically-mov able clenching anvil mounted in said frame, an operating lever for the staple inserting elements, an operating lever for the movable anvil, means operatively connecting said elements, other means to impart actuating movement to said connecting means, devices to feed a strip of tape to and over the anvil, a bell crank lover actuating said tape-feeding devices, said lever being mounted to receive actuating movement from the means directly actuating the staple-inserting mechanism, and means forming part of the tape-feeding devices to feed the tape intermittently in consonance with the alternate inoperative positions of said staple-inserting and staple-clenchin elements.

6. In a stapling and tape feeding machine the combination with a supporting frame; and stapling mechanism including a movable part and means operative to move said part; of a lever; a link connecting said lever to said part; and means operated by said lever for feeding tape to said stapling mechanism.

,7. In a stapling and tape feeding machine the combination of a supporting frame; a staple guide; a stapling anvil; a stapling plunger movable into said guide to effect the stapling operation; means operative to move said plunger; a lever; a link connecting said lever to said plunger; and a tape-feeding device operated by said lever.

8. In a stapling and tape feeding machine the combination of a supporting frame; a staple guide; astapling anvil; a stapling plunger movable into said guide to efiect the stapling operation; means operative to move said plunger; a lever; a link connecting said lever to said plunger; a tape guide; a pair of spring clamping members connected to said lever and arranged to clamp a tape Within the tape guide and move ittherethrough When the lever is moved in one direction; and means to prevent the movement of the tape by said members When the lever is mOVGCl in the reverse direction.

9. In a stapling and tape feeding ma chine the combination of a supporting frame; a duplex staple guide; means to feed a pair of staples thereto; a duplex stapling plunger movable into said guide; a vertically movable anvil; means operating to move said plunger and anvil relatively to each other and to the staple guide to effect the stapling operation; means to feed forward astrip of tape; a tape cutting mechanism consisting of relatively movable members; means to guide the tape to the anvil and to the cutting devices; means co-acting With the anvil in the vertical movement of the latter to actuate said tape-cutting mechanism; and connecting actuating devices for said elements adapted to operate them in the cycle of movements substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 29th day of March A. D. 1910.

ELI'VOOD HARRIS MICHENER.

IVitnesses:

JOHN G. MAoKY, A. M. BIDDLE. 

